A Saudi cleric who said women should not be allowed to drive because they have a “quarter” of the brainpower of men has been banned from preaching, media reported Friday. .
Saad al-Hijri was suspended from all religious activity in the southern province of Asir after his comment was widely pilloried on social media. .
Hijri said women — who normally are “half-brained” compared to men — “end up with only a quarter” when they go shopping and therefore must denied driving licences, according to an online video identifying him as a senior religious figure. .
Saudi Arabia applies a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, which imposes a range of restrictions including a ban on women driving. Unrelated men and women are normally segregated in Saudi Arabia, where offices and restaurants have separate sections for single men and families. .
Hijri’s comment sparked a storm on social media, with women’s rights activists calling for his suspension, but he also had pockets of support from conservative followers. Hijri later said that his comment was a “slip of the tongue”, according to Sabq online newspaper.
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